Regular force veterans have highest prevalence of health and well-being problems
-1 in 4 have chronic mental health condition
-3 in 4 have chronic physical health condition
-1 in 5 have both physical and mental health condition
-27 per cent found it very or moderately difficult to adjust to civilian life
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Bruce Cameron says after seeing soldiers die, saving lives in Bosnia, and focusing on survival, it was hard to understand someone upset over a lost tip at a casino.

“We would go on an operation and get shot at, get ridiculed, get broken glass thrown at us, bombs dropped on us,” he said. “I started working at the casino and to come to understand that what’s important there was somebody didn’t get a tip – they wanted a dollar and they didn’t get a dollar – was tough.”

He said some days he just wanted to tell people to smile, go home and hug their families, and be grateful.

Cameron, like many veterans in the Windsor area, said adjusting to life after military service was difficult – and there were few supports to help him make the transition.

One in three veterans who left service between 1998 and 2012 said they found it very or moderately difficult to adjust to civilian life, according to a report released by Statistics Canada. About 1 in 7 veterans spent at least one year post-service at a low income level. Nearly 40 per cent received employment insurance.

Const. Mike Akpata speaks during a service to commemorate the hiring of Alton Parker at Alton C. Parker park in Windsor on August 3, 2012. (The Windsor Star / TYLER BROWNBRIDGE)

Cameron, who served in combat arms for 21 years in Bosnia and Central America, retired in 2002 with a $20,000 pension – not enough to pay the mortgage and look after his daughter.

“I didn’t want to retire from the military; I was still relatively young. But I was forced to leave the military because I couldn’t deploy anymore as a single parent,” he said.

For a man who once was a warrant officer commanding a fleet of tanks and jumping out of helicopters in a war zone, there were few options in Windsor’s job market. He was forced to take part-time work at the casino, until he was laid off after about 10 years. He says now he’s training to be a truck driver.

“There wasn’t a lot of support for people that are leaving the military. It’s pretty much, thank you very much, goodbye and see you later,” he said.

Julian Fantino, minister of Veterans Affairs, wrote in a letter to the editor that there are many services available to veterans, including career transition services and support for those who are injured. Many of those programs require an application within the first two years after they leave service.

Mike Akpata, an Afghanistan veteran and Windsor police officer, said two years may not be enough time for people to be ready to seek help.

“It is the stress of what you have done. It is the shutting the adrenaline pump off when you get home. It is the trying to explain to people who are close to you whether you want to talk about it or don’t want to talk about it,” he said. “You’re carrying that weight and now you go to a (potential employer) and they say to you, thank you very much, you don’t have the skill set we need.”

He said it can become easy for those people to feel useless.

The survey suggested that nearly 1 in 3 reserve veterans were heavy drinkers. About 20 per cent of all veterans said they experienced high levels of stress.

“These kids have so much potential. They were so good at their job, but it’s not transferable to civilian life,” said Michael Blais, president of the Canadian Veterans Advocacy. He said while senior-level officers or specialized staff may find work easily afterwards, often those who served in combat find it most difficult – especially if they have medical or mental health issues as well as low income levels.

The Statistics Canada survey suggested that veterans who left service voluntarily, such as Cameron, or through a disciplinary action, often face harsher economic realities post-service. As well, lower level employees and those working in the reserves were most likely to see their income reduce after service, and to face low income levels.

Adam Vasey, director of Windsor’s poverty reduction strategy Pathway to Potential, said veterans may be reluctant to seek help out of a sense of pride.

Canadian Army veteran Bruce Moncur, right, chats with Bob Williams in downtown Windsor, about the formation of Afghanistan Veterans Association of Canada with hopes to assist war veterans who have returned home July 14, 2014. (NICK BRANCACCIO/The Windsor Star)

Vasey said while the regional strategy considers several vulnerable groups, veterans have not been one discussed in the past. He said poverty reduction programs often try to work with associations or grassroots movements that empower the people who need their services – but some veterans are lacking representation because of the difficult transition to civilian life.

That’s one of the reasons that Afghanistan veteran Bruce Moncur is forming an association for Afghanistan veterans nationwide. The Afghanistan Veterans Association of Canada will provide veterans with a presence in front of the federal government and offer support and a network of people going through the same transition.

“You lose that when you separate from the army,” said Akpata, vice-president of the group. “The association’s goal is to try to make sure that we can provide that warm feeling.”

Moncur said there are about 140 members already, with more than 30 from Windsor.

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